Capital-reserve Plan Criticized

BOLTON — An effort by the selectmen to have the town put more money aside for long-term projects is meeting with resistance from finance board Chairman James Roscoe.

March 4, the selectmen proposed an ordinance requiring that a capital reserve account in the annual town budget receive an amount equal to the amount raised from 1.25 mills of the tax rate. With a tax-rate mill worth about $274,500 in town, $343,125 would be set aside in 1996-97.

Under the town charter, the selectmen may set the amount of money put into the capital reserve -- a sort of savings account for major expenditures -- at as much money as is brought in by 2 mills on the tax rate. Currently, it is half a mill, or $137,250.

First Selectman Carl Preuss said putting more into the reserve would show a realistic commitment to the 20-year plan for capital spending drawn up last year by Michael Eremit and John Guinan, respectively, the first selectman and the town administrator at the time.

That plan -- also required by the charter -- calls for periodic replacement of town vehicles and equipment, as well as various construction projects, such as the resurfacing and repair of tennis courts at Bolton High School.

``The selectmen's feeling is unless you're going to fund it, the 20-year plan is meaningless,'' Preuss said, ``and I haven't seen a willingness to fund capital improvements. The money's gone to operations.''

The selectmen scheduled a hearing on the proposed ordinance for 7 p.m. Tuesday at town hall.

Roscoe said such a requirement would deprive the finance board of part of its prerogative to balance myriad competing claims on town resources, claims arising mainly from school spending, town services, capital projects and pressure to control taxes.

``It constrains the options the board of finance has to meet everybody's needs,'' Roscoe said. ``It requires us to take into account capital spending before operating costs.''

Roscoe said he is not sure how his panel would have found an additional $200,000 for capital spending last year, had it been forced to. Preuss, Roscoe and members of their respective boards are to debate the issue at town hall Monday at 7:30 p.m., when the finance board next meets.